Tastefully Overcaramelized

Ahoy from Cape Disappointment!

Ann says

Well I’m not actually in Cape Disappointment anymore. I am at home in this CRAPTASTIC weather we are having in Seattle. Every year it rains a bunch in Seattle in June, which is fine because we usually get all this fabulous sunniness in May. We like to do it different here. But NOT THIS YEAR! Oh no! It has been gray and rainy since forever and there has been NO SUN AT ALL. Except for one highly non-disappointing day at Cape Disappoitment. The day was beautiful, warm, and sunny. The day culminated in the most delivious Salisbury Steak I have even rested my tastebuds upon. It was highly fantastic.

Alas, I have NO pictures of the steak. You will have to be satisfied with desciption and some lovely pictures of the park. But here is the thing about Salisbury Steak. It is SO much better than you think it is. The cube steak is actually pretty lean. You can get it from your butcher in whatever kind of level of sustainability you like, and it is hella cheap. You dredge in flour and brown in a cast iron pan. You remove the meat and add ALL MANNER of delcious saucy ingredients like a can of tomatoes, beef broth, onions, celery, and worsterchire sauce. Paprika! Then, my friends, you braise it for like 2 hours! While you are waiting you can have a gin and tonic by the roaring fire in the twilight right next to the ocean.

It is the best meal of your LIFE O_O

Do you know where we got this recipe? From food-frickin-network is where. Alton Brown. Boy do I have something to say about him. I love his show. He is highly entertaining and I love science so it’s a lovely combination of two interests but I have tried a couple of his recipes and they failed like a giant whale. His sweet potato pie was the worst pie I have ever had I kid you not. But I saw him make that steak and I was trying to think of what to make on our camping trip and VOILA! Magic happened.

Here is how it goes. We switched out beef for chicken broth and had no bacon dripping so we did veg oil:

Salisbury Steak

2 pounds of cube steak, you can make it yourself like Alton says or just buy it like we did
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

As I said before. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour. Brown in hot oil in a big cast iron pot or pan if you wanna do like we did. Remove from pan and add choped veggies. Once softened add tomatoes, broth, and the rest of the seasonings. Simmer for 2 hours. Devour. We ate them with potatoes cooked in duck fat.